Aquarium's 'Behind the Scenes' tours rev up for warm-weather visits

Published 3:41 pm, Tuesday, April 15, 2014

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During the Behind the Scenes tours at the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, visitors are taken to a walkway that rings the 110,000-gallon Open Ocean Tank, where they have the opportunity to look directly into the water (there's no glass barrier) to view sharks and other animals. less

During the Behind the Scenes tours at the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, visitors are taken to a walkway that rings the 110,000-gallon Open Ocean Tank, where they have the opportunity to look directly into the ... more

Photo: Contributed Photo, Contributed Photo

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A stop at the "fish kitchen" -- where food is prepared for the approximately 2,000 resident animals -- is featured on the Behind the Scenes tour at the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.

A stop at the "fish kitchen" -- where food is prepared for the approximately 2,000 resident animals -- is featured on the Behind the Scenes tour at the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.

Photo: Contributed Photo, Contributed Photo

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The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk "grows" their own jellies.

The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk "grows" their own jellies.

Photo: Contributed Photo, Contributed Photo

Aquarium's 'Behind the Scenes' tours rev up for warm-weather visits

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The public's insatiable curiosity about what's "behind the curtain" or beyond closed doors -- especially the ones that say "Staff Only" -- has led the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk to devise one of its most popular ongoing programs.

"Behind the Scenes" at the aquarium is offered on the third Saturday of every month (this April weekend) to accommodate all those visitors who are fascinated by what they can't normally see, explained facility spokesman Dave Sigworth.

Sigworth said that each tour, conducted early in the morning prior to the 10 a.m. public opening, is limited to 25 people, so reservations are strongly recommended -- especially during the upcoming warm months. Participants must be at least 10 years old and those under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

"I think there's a natural curiosity to learn about how we do what we do," Sigworth said.

"If the public wants to see the inner workings at the Maritime Aquarium, we're happy to show them, especially if that better connects them with our mission" to protect the environment and ecology of Long Island Sound, he said.

More Information

Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, 10 North Water St. Saturday, April 19, and the third Saturday of every month, 8:15-10 a.m. $25. 203-852-0700, ext. 2206; www.MaritimeAquarium.org.

Among the stops on the tour is the so-called "fish kitchen," where all food is prepared for all the aquarium's approximately 2,000 inhabitants, including otters, seals, sea turtles and sharks, Sigworth said.

"Fish is purchased by the ton" on a regular basis and then frozen for future use. It's all measured out in specific portions for each group of animals, whose health is monitored continually by staff, he said, noting that vitamins and other supplements are tucked into the mouths of the food fish as needed.

Perhaps the most fascinating stop for the public is the 110,000-gallon Open Ocean Tank, frequently referred to as the "shark tank." Visitors are taken to a walkway that rings the tank top. "There's a railing around the top of the tank from which Behind the Scenes visitors can have an unobstructed view of the water," he said.

"And I've seen it with my own eyes: the dorsal fins of our eight-foot sand tiger sharks actually cut through the water's surface" just like they do in all the horror films -- giving everyone above water a clue to their whereabouts and a chill down their spines, he added.

Another popular stop is the jellyfish nursery, where the aquarium "grows" its own supply.

pasboros@ctpost.com; Twitter: @PhyllisASBoros

Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, 10 N. Water St. Saturday, April 19, and the third Saturday of every month, 8:15-10 a.m. $25. 203-852-0700, ext. 2206; www.MaritimeAquarium.org.